<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Pale in Comparison by AShortWalkToDelinquency</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28188234">Pale in Comparison</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AShortWalkToDelinquency/pseuds/AShortWalkToDelinquency'>AShortWalkToDelinquency</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>12 days of XXXmas [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Prodigal Son (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bathing/Washing, Cunnilingus, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug, Multi, Threesome - F/M/M, Vaginal Fingering</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:49:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,155</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28188234</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AShortWalkToDelinquency/pseuds/AShortWalkToDelinquency</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He gives Malcolm a moment to adjust, waiting until his muscles start to uncoil beneath the water before he kneels next to the tub, the first aid kit on the floor in front of him and a stack of washcloths on the small stand at the edge of the tub.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Malcolm Bright/JT Tarmel/Tally Tarmel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>12 days of XXXmas [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037679</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Pale in Comparison</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Takes place in episode 17 after Lucas is arrested and they sort out the adoption papers for Alessa and her baby.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The doorbell ringing at 3:36 am is bound to mean trouble.</p>
<p>JT scowls at the clock beside the bed and huffs out a breath. With getting Lucas to the hospital (under guard and handcuffed to the bed) and sorting out everything with Alessa to ensure she didn't face charges for the blackmarket adoption, he didn't finish at the station until after 11.00. By the time he got home and wound down enough to go to bed, it was nearly 1:00.</p>
<p>He is too damn tired to deal with anyone's bullshit right now.</p>
<p>Another ring of the doorbell, though, has him tossing off the blankets and pushing to his feet, taking only a moment to flick on the lamp and grab his sidearm from the bedside table as he goes.</p>
<p>"Hon, what are you doing?" Tally murmurs, her voice thick with sleep.</p>
<p>"Someone's at the door," he says quietly, unsurprised that she slept through the sound of the doorbell, and equally unsurprised that his getting out of bed is what woke her. The pregnancy has left her exhausted, able to sleep through almost anything, but she's so attuned to JT that she wakes up every time he gets out of bed, whether it's to take a leak or head in to work for a case. "Stay here okay?"</p>
<p>He kneels on the mattress and leans down to plant a quick kiss on her forehead, now creased with concern as her eyes dart to the clock and make note of the time.</p>
<p>As he makes his way down the hall in nothing but a pair of plaid pyjama pants, the bell rings twice more in quick succession. </p>
<p>He pads quietly to the door, gun gripped firmly at his side as he leans in to check the peephole, finding a mop of disheveled hair and nothing else.</p>
<p>"Don't shoot, detective," floats muffled through the door and JT would swear he can hear a hint of a smirk in the words. </p>
<p>He sighs as he flips the locks and swings the door open, loosening his grip on the gun, though he hasn't entirely ruled out using it yet. On the other side of the doorway, Bright sways on his feet, bloody and bruised and far too close to unconscious for JT's liking.</p>
<p>"The fuck, man?" JT just barely catches Malcolm as he practically collapses, hauling him up and carrying him inside. "This has to stop, Bright."</p>
<p>It's not the first time he's shown up like this. The first time was during their investigation into the Vosler institute and the subsequent IA investigation. Bright had been so high-strung and mentally unbalanced at the time that JT had been terrified he would go and do something stupid.</p>
<p>Which, of course, he did.</p>
<p>In retrospect, getting his ass kicked that night wasn't nearly as bad as almost frying his brain with the electroshock machine, but it still came as one hell of a surprise when he showed up at his door, beaten to a pulp. It was less of a shock the second time it happened, after Martin Whitly was stabbed.</p>
<p>And now, as JT kicks the door shut behind him and carries Malcolm into the apartment, his heart gives a painful twinge to think that this is starting to become routine.</p>
<p>"Shit." Tally is at the end of the hallway, robe cinched tight around her waist. She freezes as she catches sight of JT carrying Malcolm, but only for a moment. Then she jumps into action.</p>
<p>Tally rushes forward and takes JT's gun from his hand, allowing him to get a better grip on the dead weight in his arms. He can't help but notice that Bright is even lighter now than the last time this happened, and he wonders if the kid has even been attempting to take care of himself. </p>
<p>He makes his way to the living room first, gently depositing Bright on the couch and kneeling down beside him. A few quick taps to the face and Bright is blinking open those gorgeous baby blues, confusion and pain settling over his face almost immediately.</p>
<p>"What the hell happened, man?" JT asks, though he already knows the answer. When Malcolm's life begins to spiral out of control he validates his existence by helping people. Usually, working cases with the team is enough.</p>
<p>Nights like this, it isn't.</p>
<p>Nights like this, Malcolm goes looking for trouble. Looking for a victim that needs saving or a criminal that needs to meet the justice system. And he does it alone, because alone is what Malcolm Bright knows.</p>
<p>It breaks JT's heart.</p>
<p>"It's fine," Malcolm says, his voice little more than a whisper. "I'm fine."</p>
<p>"Mmhmm," JT hums. He doesn't trust his voice right now. Every time he sees Malcolm like this it hurts a little more and he refuses to dwell on why that is. Instead, he does a quick head check for any injuries that may spell out a concussion.</p>
<p>Malcolm lays there quietly and submits to the superficial exam, bloodshot eyes trained on JT the entire time. "I'm sorry," Malcolm says after a moment and, for a fraction of a second, JT thinks that maybe Malcolm is turning a corner, thinks that he's beginning to understand that he doesn’t need to save the world to make his life mean something. That hope is shattered into a thousand tiny fragments as Malcolm pushes himself to a seated position and says, "I shouldn't have come here."</p>
<p>JT scrubs a hand over his face, not even looking at Malcolm as he says, "I swear to God, bro, if you try walking out of here right now, I'll take you down myself."</p>
<p>The warning halts Malcolm's movements, his attempt to stand (and presumably leave) cut short by the muttered threat.</p>
<p>When Tally walks into the room, it's to find JT with his face buried in his hand and Malcolm perched on the edge of the couch, swaying slightly and dripping blood on the floor.</p>
<p>"I'm running a bath," she says, drawing both men's gazes. "First aid kit is next to the tub."</p>
<p>JT turns his attention back to Malcolm, ready to ask if he's still planning on leaving, but the words fall away as he watches the guilt that contorts Malcolm's features as he looks at Tally, his gaze lingering on her stomach. She's not showing yet, it's far too early for that, but Malcolm knows she's expecting now and JT can tell that Malcolm is feeling like he's intruding, now more than ever.</p>
<p>"Come on," JT pushes to his feet with a grunt. Malcolm looks up at him, eyes bright with unshed tears, and JT can't stop himself from threading a hand through his hair and leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead, hoping to ease away some of the tight lines that are currently drawn there. A few tears escape as Malcolm closes his eyes and nods, but it seems more like defeat than acceptance and JT vows to himself that things are going to change after tonight.</p>
<p>Right now, though, he needs to get Malcolm patched up.</p>
<p>Everything else will just have to wait.</p>
<p>He helps Malcolm to his feet, trying to ignore the groan that slips from his lips at the movement. Tally stands close by, ready to catch Malcolm if he takes a sudden fall, and then moving in front of him and laying a gentle kiss on his lips once he's upright. </p>
<p>"I'm sorry," the broken words come tumbling out once again, but Tally stops him with a finger pressed lightly to his mouth, cautiously avoiding the split on the left side of his lip, the cause of many of the blood droplets that are spattered on the hardwood floor.</p>
<p>"It's okay, baby," Tally says, looking quickly to JT, a question clear in her eyes. At JT's nod, she adds, "We'll figure it all out in the morning. Let JT take care of you right now, okay?"</p>
<p>Half-supporting/half-carrying Malcolm to the bathroom, they make their way into the room, already filling with steam and the comforting scent of Eucalyptus bath oil to soothe Malcolm's sore muscles. JT has to set Malcolm down on the edge of the tub before he can start undressing him, knowing damn well that Malcolm won't be able to keep upright on his own. The jacket, waistcoat and shirt all come off easily enough, though JT's stomach twists at the sheer number of bruises that are already forming on Malcolm's torso. He stops to feel along Malcolm's ribs, muttering an apology for the groans the action causes, making sure nothing is broken and requiring more care than he's capable of providing. Thankfully, his bones all seem to be intact.</p>
<p>Biting back on the words that are trying to break free (and JT doesn't even know which words would win if he allowed them to start flowing; he wants to scream at Malcolm for allowing this to happen, wants to beg him to stop doing it in the first place, wants to tell him he loves him and that he's breaking his heart), JT kneels down to remove Malcolm's socks and shoes. </p>
<p>After shutting off the faucets, they stand together, Malcolm shaking and swaying in JT's arms as he tries to keep his balance. JT carefully removes Malcolm's pants and boxer-briefs, throwing them in the corner with all of his other torn and bloodied apparel, and then he supports Malcolm with straining muscles as he lowers him into the hot water of the bathtub.</p>
<p>A pained whimper escapes from Malcolm's throat, whether from the heat or the pain caused by his body leaning against the ceramic shell of the clawfoot tub, JT isn't sure, but he winces in sympathy regardless.</p>
<p>He gives Malcolm a moment to adjust, waiting until his muscles start to uncoil beneath the water before he kneels next to the tub, the first aid kit on the floor in front of him and a stack of washcloths on the small stand at the edge of the tub. </p>
<p>He makes a mental note to tell Tally just how much he loves her, how much of an amazing woman she is. He knows that, in addition to preparing everything in here, she'll have a bottle of water, a few painkillers, and a set of pyjamas ready for Malcolm when they're done.</p>
<p>JT grabs one of the cloths (new ones, extra soft, and suddenly JT understands why Tally came home from the store with a stack of them shortly after Malcolm's last visit) and dunks it in the water before bringing it up to Malcolm's face, starting with the deep gash that runs through the edge of his left eyebrow. He gently cleans all the blood away before taking the disinfectant and gauze from the first aid kit.</p>
<p>"This is gonna sting," he warns before he presses the dampened gauze to the wound.</p>
<p>Malcolm sucks a breath in through clenched teeth, squeezing his eyes shut against the sting as JT works to quickly but thoroughly disinfect the wound, needing to use steri-strips to close it up to, hopefully, avoid scarring.</p>
<p>Malcolm has enough scars littering his body already to last a lifetime.</p>
<p>JT methodically moves from cut to cut, purposefully ignoring the way the blood droplets form wispy clouds in the water as they fall from Malcolm's face. Once JT gets past the worst of the cuts, Malcolm goes boneless against the tub, and JT isn't quite sure if he's asleep or just meditating through the pain, but he hopes he's found some peace either way.</p>
<p>When he's convinced he's done everything he can, JT flops down on the floor next to the tub, letting his arm dangle over the edge, taking hold of Malcolm's hand in the warm water. He sits with Malcolm like that until the water turns tepid and he sees goosebumps form on Malcolm's skin.</p>
<p>"Hey, man," JT says, giving Malcolm's hand a light squeeze, careful to avoid his bruised knuckles. "Let's get you to bed."</p>
<p>Malcolm opens his eyes and JT is shocked to find them achingly clear. The rest clearly helped.</p>
<p>When JT releases Malcolm's hand, readying himself to get to his feet and help Malcolm up, Malcolm holds fast, stopping JT before he's even pushed himself from the cool tile floor.</p>
<p>"Thank you," Malcolm says so sincerely that JT has no doubt he means for more than just patching up his wounds tonight.</p>
<p>JT offers a small smile, content that he's been able to provide Malcolm with a safe space to turn to when things get bad. He just wishes he could get Malcolm to seek sanctuary <em>before</em> running off and nearly getting himself killed.</p>
<p>Malcolm moves a little easier after the bath, his muscles no longer shaking and trembling as he holds himself up. Even still, JT is nearly as wet as Malcolm by the time they maneuver him from the tub. </p>
<p>JT hardly notices.</p>
<p>Wrapped in one fluffy towel with another draped over his shoulders, Malcolm is led to the master bedroom at the end of the hall, JT's strong arm wrapped around him every step of the way.</p>
<p>Tally is already in bed, pillows propped up against the headboard as she leans back and scrolls through her phone, her eyes darting up as soon as they walk through the doorway. As expected, there's a pair of pyjama pants for Malcolm, as well as a fresh pair for JT, laid out at the foot of the bed. JT throws her a grateful smile and helps Malcolm get the pants on first, taking his time to lower him into the middle of the bed before shucking his own damp clothes, giving himself a perfunctory wipe down with Malcolm's discarded towels and sliding on the dry clothes Tally left for him.</p>
<p>It only takes a moment to shoot off a text — letting Gil know he'll be late tomorrow, and, though their <em>arrangement</em> remains unspoken, he knows the Lieutenant will understand and approve of the time he uses to care for Malcolm — before he climbs into the bed. Malcolm has curled himself up next to Tally, his head resting on her belly like he's listening for sounds of life inside of her.</p>
<p>JT slides up behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist, exceedingly careful to avoid the worst of his bruises and not rest too much of his weight on the damaged body. He drops a series of light kisses along Malcolm's neck, intending it to be comfort and nothing more, but the way Malcolm grinds back against him tells him that he has other ideas in mind.</p>
<p>He's not opposed, by any means, but Malcolm has got to be hurting something fierce and he's surprised that he's up for anything besides a deep and dreamless sleep.</p>
<p>(Though Malcolm confessed once that he seems to sleep better on those nights that the fear and anxiety has been beaten out of him, and even better when JT has taken care of him afterwards.)</p>
<p>Tally seems to be on board as well, dropping her phone carelessly to the nightstand as Malcolm's hand drifts up her inner thigh, dipping beneath her pyjama shorts and teasing her clit the way she likes best.</p>
<p>"You sure you're up for this, babe?" Tally asks, her words coming out breathy and higher pitched than usual.</p>
<p>"Yes," Malcolm says simply.</p>
<p>At this point JT is willing to give Bright whatever he wants if it could help to ease the pain in his body, the chaos in his mind, or both. He tugs Bright back snug against his body and then slips his hand beneath the waistband of Bright's pyjamas, wrapping his hand around the half-hard cock that bobs up to meet him and starts a firm and steady stroke. </p>
<p>A full body shudder rips through Malcolm at the touch, his groan a mixture of pleasure and pain, muffled in Tally’s stomach as he buries his face until he can catch his breath. Once he does, he's quick to move towards what he wants. </p>
<p>Malcolm brings his hands to Tally's shorts and tugs them down, Tally seeming just as eager as she lifts her hips to slide them off. Malcolm's hands linger along her legs, fingertips perusing her skin as his hands slip back up towards their goal.</p>
<p>With the shorts out of the way, JT has a clear view when two of Malcolm's fingers slide inside of Tally's body, pumping in and out and crooking his fingers to draw all sorts of noises from her that shoot directly to JT's cock. Malcolm's thumb finds its way to Tally's clit, working slow circles as he pumps in and out of her.</p>
<p>"What do you want, Bright?" JT asks, rubbing his own thumb over the slit of Malcolm's cock at the same pace that Malcolm is working Tally.</p>
<p>Malcolm groans at the change of pace, his hand faltering in Tally for just a moment. "Fuck," Malcolm breathes rocking his hips back against the bulge that's growing in JT's pants. "I want you to fuck me while I eat her out."</p>
<p>They barely need to move from how they're laying. Tally shifts to the side just a little, still propped up against the headboard, and spreads her legs wide to give Malcolm plenty of room to work his magic. Malcolm rolls so he's not quite on his stomach and not quite on his side, immediately burying his face between Tally's legs, losing himself, as he always does, in the pleasure he provides.</p>
<p>JT takes a moment to watch Malcolm eat his wife out with abandon. It never fails to get him rock hard to see how much Malcolm enjoys lapping at her pussy, alternating between licking at her folds, circling her clit, and darting her tongue inside of her. The wetter Tally gets, the more Malcolm moans.</p>
<p>Tally, meanwhile, fists Malcolm's hair with one hand and plucks at her nipples with the other, her eyes darting back and forth between Malcolm's mouth on her cunt, and JT's enraptured face. </p>
<p>"Oh God, don't stop," Tally begs as her pleasure builds, and her voice seems to spur JT into action. </p>
<p>He tugs Malcolm's pants down revealing his perfectly pert ass, and almost immediately Malcolm is pulling his knees up beneath him, baring his hole for JT to use.</p>
<p>JT shuffles off the bed and drops his pants to the floor, quickly pulling a bottle of lube from the bedside table before crawling back on the mattress behind Malcolm. He wastes no time, drizzling the slick directly on Malcolm's hole, and then slicks up his cock as well.</p>
<p>Malcolm's been vocal about the fact that he enjoys being taken without prep, but it still doesn't sit well with JT. The last thing he wants to do is hurt Malcolm more than he already is. He does, however, push two fingers into Malcolm's tight channel with next to no warning. Malcolm keens and pushes back on JT's fingers, searching for more friction, more depth, more of everything.</p>
<p>Tally gently coaxes his face back to her cunt, which JT sees is dripping wet and aching to be filled.</p>
<p>Which gives him an excellent idea.</p>
<p>"Use your fingers, Bright," JT says, sliding his fingers in deep and running them over Malcolm's prostate to get his attention. "Fuck my girl with your fingers the way you want me to fuck you with mine."</p>
<p>Malcolm and Tally let out simultaneous moans at the order.</p>
<p>Malcolm's quick to bring a hand to Tally's cunt, two fingers sliding deep inside, the same way JT's fingers are pushing into him. He matches JT's pace to start with, a slow pump of his fingers. In and out, in and out. Until Malcolm starts to move his hand a little faster.</p>
<p>As Malcolm picks up the pace, so does JT.</p>
<p>Matching groans are dragged from Malcolm and Tally with every additional finger, with every increase in speed. Tally brings a hand to her clit, frantically working herself as Malcolm pistons all four fingers into her cunt, only slowing as Tally screams her release, coming all over his hand.</p>
<p>He fucks her through it until she's squirming away from his touch, then pulls out his fingers and begins to lick them off, one at a time.</p>
<p>JT pulls his fingers from Malcolm's ass at the same time, but he's quick to replace them with his slicked up cock, hips snapping violently forward as soon as he breaches Malcolm's body. He doesn't even attempt to hold back on the moan that breaks from deep inside of him, the vibration combining with Malcolm's breathy huffs and mewling cries to form a type of symphony that reverberates through the room.</p>
<p>Malcolm is absurdly tight around his dick, even after fingering him open, and JT is sure he's not going to last long at all. Tally seems to recognize it as well, and shifts around on the bed so she can get a hand underneath Malcolm, fisting his dick and working him hard and fast.</p>
<p>"Fuck!" Malcolm cries out, torn between rocking back to meet JT's powerful thrusts and rocking forward into Tally's grip. JT keeps the pace until Malcolm shouts and claws at the sheets, his inner muscles clamping down hard on JT's cock as he spurts all over the sheets below him.</p>
<p>Five more thrusts, six, and then JT is coming, too, shooting a hot load deep inside of Malcolm's body.</p>
<p>When JT pulls out after a minute, Malcolm collapses to the bed with a groan and JT leans back to sit on his feet and catch his breath. Tally pushes herself up and lightly pads from the room, returning a few minutes later with some damp cloths to clean them up. Malcolm doesn't even move as JT takes one of the damp rags and cleans his spend from where it's dripping from between Malcolm's cheeks, his cock giving a valiant twitch of interest at the sight. </p>
<p>"Down boy," Tally chuckles, noticing the way JT pauses to admire Malcolm's sloppy hole. "We all need sleep right now." She glances down at Malcolm and JT can almost hear the silent 'especially him.'</p>
<p>None of them bother to redress, crawling into bed naked and curling up against one another like they're all craving to do. JT and Tally both hold Malcolm close, letting the touch show him that he's safe and loved.</p>
<p>Malcolm falls asleep immediately, his breathing slowing down and evening out as his body goes lax between them.</p>
<p>"I think it's time we had that conversation," Tally whispers into the darkness.</p>
<p>JT and Tally have been discussing for a while now about inviting Malcolm into their relationship on a more permanent basis. They both love him and want him around more often, but, more than that, they think maybe they can help keep Malcolm out of the trouble he keeps seeking out.</p>
<p>Maybe, if they're very lucky and work very hard at it, they can convince Malcolm that he doesn't have to go it alone.</p>
<p>The way Malcolm gravitated towards Tally's stomach tonight only proved to JT that Malcolm is just as invested as they are, and he truly believes that all three of them will be happier if they cement this relationship.</p>
<p>"We'll ask him in the morning," JT agrees as his eyelids begin to droop, the lateness of the hour finally catching up to him. </p>
<p>He dreams of a future together with Tally and Bright and their little bundle of joy, a happy life where the four of them live together in a house filled with love, a life where Malcolm no longer feels the urge to hurt himself.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>It takes some convincing from both Tally and JT (Malcolm is certain he'd be intruding, an interloper trespassing within their happy family) but Malcolm eventually agrees to try and is soon spending more nights with them than he spends at his loft.</p>
<p>When Malcolm's life begins to spiral out of control — after being framed for murder, after Gil nearly dies, after Ainsley brutally kills Nicholas Endicott in front of him — he turns to JT and Tally instead of turning to his usual source of relief. They help him through, hurting him the way he needs but tempering it with a love and acceptance that breaks him down and builds him up even stronger than before.</p>
<p>By the time the baby is born, the three of them are settled in a new apartment, one that looks suspiciously like the home from JT's dream, though he keeps that observation to himself.</p>
<p>So as JT walks through the door one night to find Malcolm and Tally curled up on the sofa together, their son resting quietly against Malcolm's chest without a care in the world, JT can't help but smile at the scene.</p>
<p>His dreams pale in comparison to the life he's living now.</p>
<p>And he couldn't ask for anything more.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>